Books Recommended by our Members: December 2009

[Betsy the Quilter]

Got a book you couldn't put down?  Post it here!

For the November recommendations, look here:
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,15180.0.html

Ann & Betsy

[Leslie]

Brand new...the Kindle book isn't for sale at Amazon (yet) but you can buy it at Fictionwise (a bargain at $3.84 right now) and they will email it to your Kindle.



http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b99172/?si=0

The description (which I don't think does the book justice):

The key issue keeping the U.S. armed forces from going beyond Don't Ask Don't Tell to give gay servicemen equal rights is a blind fear of love relationships forming, not between enlisted soldiers but between officers and soldiers, which would undermine the chain of command. The Lonely War tackles this topic head on. It tells the story of an enlisted sailor who falls in love with his executive officer. When the crew of the USS Pilgrim become POWs in Changi, a notoriously brutal prison camp, this sailor is elevated though hardship and love to discover his inner resources and extraordinary courage, allowing him to sacrifice himself to save the life of his beloved. Like most war novels, The Lonely War envelops all that is unique to war, the horror of battle, overcoming fear, the cruelty of soldiers, the loyalty and camaraderie of men caught in a desperate situation. Yet, it stands alone in two important ways. First, it is a passionate story written about a tender love developing between an officer and an enlisted man, revealing a rare and dignified portrait of a couple struggling to satisfy desire within the confines of the military code of conduct. Even more importantly however, it describes the heart-wrenching measures of how much one man will sacrifice to save the life and reputation of the man he loves.

I'll be writing a review to be posted at jessewave's site, hopefully by tomorrow. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

[nogdog~6op6ou]

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson



I read this in three evenings, and I'm not a fast reader. I felt Ferguson did a good job of telling the parts of his life he chose to share with the reader without getting too apologetic, too preachy, or too emotional (though I did start to tear up a bit at a couple points). The writing was generally sparse but effective, with just enough humor to keep the tone from getting too dark or maudlin.

From the Amazon product description:

In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark-as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer. To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

[MLPMom]

I don't know how to make the pictures clickable yet but here are two books that I just finished over the long weekend and would recommend them, I think they were just on Oprah's list of books as well.


Bed of Roses

and this one:


Vision in White

There are suppose to be four in the series and I believe the third one comes out in May 2010. They were both released in paperback form to start with and can both be purchased in Kindle form.

[TheSeagull]

Tarka the Otter - a true controversial classic, beware, you will cry!

[RavenclawPrefect]

This has probably been recommended before but I have to give a thumbs up to



I had seen friends recommend this book and while it was sampled on my Kindle, it was not high on my list of things to read.  I decided to try the sample and got the book right away.  Since the sequel is not on Kindle yet, I decided I could wait until it either came out in paperback or Kindle before I read it.   That lasted about 2 days before I put down the book I was reading and got the DTB (yesterday) I finished the sequel last night and am looking forward to August when the story picks up again.  They are YA fiction so they read pretty quickly but they are well worth it. 

[Leslie]

Just finished:



Oh my God, so good. Five stars. This is not the type of book I usually read but this one pulled me in instantly and didn't let me go. As a bonus, the book includes an afterword by the the author and three short stories that provide a little more story about the two main characters. Definitely recommended.

[angelad]

Ah, this is a good thread.  It would be cool to may be have a few threads on a few different genres? 

[Leslie]

Ah, this is a good thread.  It would be cool to may be have a few threads on a few different genres? 

We have those in the Book Corner, not stickied. This thread is for the creme de la creme of what you have read each month that you really want people to know about...those unforgettable, must read books.

L

[JimC1946]

First rate science fiction thriller by Robert Williams. Think of it as sort of a mixture of "Andromeda Strain" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." It's also a bargain for $1.29 for Kindle. I finished it last night and posted my review on Amazon this morning.

[svsilentsun]

If you like Grisham and J. Kellerman type thrillers, you'll enjoy Dark Harbor - and for just $1.99. Mine is the newest review.

Dark Harbo by David Hosp

[Leslie]

I have read this twice in the past 36 hours. A really wonderful Christmas story...if you like Dickens, you'll like this.

[F1Wild]

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson

Loved it - very different from what I thought it would be.  His history reminds me of Billy Connelly's, but maybe it's because they both grew up in a rough part of Glasgow.  I have a totally different idea of who Ferguson is as man since reading this.  Funny & sad and a pleasure to read!

[ScottLCollins]

Finished up The Feathery by Bill Flynn over the weekend. Didn't think a golf book would keep me interested, but I was wrong. Loved the story, the history, the character. Thanks and keep writing!

[cheerio]

Brand new...the Kindle book isn't for sale at Amazon (yet) but you can buy it at Fictionwise (a bargain at $3.84 right now) and they will email it to your Kindle.



http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b99172/?si=0

The description (which I don't think does the book justice):

The key issue keeping the U.S. armed forces from going beyond Don't Ask Don't Tell to give gay servicemen equal rights is a blind fear of love relationships forming, not between enlisted soldiers but between officers and soldiers, which would undermine the chain of command. The Lonely War tackles this topic head on. It tells the story of an enlisted sailor who falls in love with his executive officer. When the crew of the USS Pilgrim become POWs in Changi, a notoriously brutal prison camp, this sailor is elevated though hardship and love to discover his inner resources and extraordinary courage, allowing him to sacrifice himself to save the life of his beloved. Like most war novels, The Lonely War envelops all that is unique to war, the horror of battle, overcoming fear, the cruelty of soldiers, the loyalty and camaraderie of men caught in a desperate situation. Yet, it stands alone in two important ways. First, it is a passionate story written about a tender love developing between an officer and an enlisted man, revealing a rare and dignified portrait of a couple struggling to satisfy desire within the confines of the military code of conduct. Even more importantly however, it describes the heart-wrenching measures of how much one man will sacrifice to save the life and reputation of the man he loves.

I'll be writing a review to be posted at jessewave's site, hopefully by tomorrow. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

I love these books, especially from being in the armed forces i can relate to some of the ideas presented

[Neekeebee]

This one might have been posted in previous months, but I just read it and can't stop thinking about the book:


N

[Leslie]

I love these books, especially from being in the armed forces i can relate to some of the ideas presented

The Lonely War is a great book...definitely recommended.

L

[ericholly]

The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
She has written a wonderful book populated with women I "know". I started the book and could barely put it down; it was a quick read for me and I was anxious to see what would happen next. I am always amazed at how strong and brave women can be, and how stupid and complacent women can be. Kathryn Stockett did a terrific job of presenting these complexities within the framwork of a great story.

[mistyd107]

AMAZING READ

[BasicGreatGuy]

"Of Human Bondage" by William Somerset Maugham. http://www.amazon.com/Of-Human-Bondage-ebook/dp/B000SEH1K0/ref=sr_oe_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262049004&sr=1-1&condition=used

I first read this book in high school. For some reason, I was drawn to this book on my own. William has written a griping story of the human condition that is often marred in physical and emotional scars, as it relates not only on a societal level, but just as importantly and often painfully, the interpersonal relationship between a man and a woman.  This book will touch you deep inside your soul. It will call on you to open up doors within yourself, that you have had closed for many years. Once you start reading, you will be hard pressed to put the book down.

[pidgeon92]

a griping story of the human condition

I often gripe about the human condition as well. Just ask Betsy.

[Ann in Arlington]

Verena, behave!  Everyone is allowed the odd typo now and again! 

(Wait. . . .now I'm griping!  )

(Betsy are we deleting useless posts like this in this thread too?)

[pidgeon92]

(Betsy are we deleting useless posts like this in this thread too?)

Did you just call my post useless? 

[Ann in Arlington]

Pretty sure I called my post useless. . . .but. . . .come to think of it. . . .

[JimC1946]

This is an remarkable memoir written by a CIA agent who was recruited while he was in college in the early 1970s. If you don't already know what "wet operations" means, you'll find out.